The walk begins...

The scene was set...the aim was there, to raise as much as possible for the Velindre cancer centre's new project, Victory over Cancer! (www.justgiving.com/Pamela-Mallpress)

The target is to walk the coastal walk of Wales, just opened last year.....so on Saturday 11th May, Chris, my ever supporting husband and I set off on phase 1 (which may be the first of very many...) to walk from Chepstow to Newport. With the help of other bloggers, we found a great B & B in Redwick, the apparent mid spot which in truth turned out to be the longest "half" of the weekend walk, Brick House Country House Guest House.
It was all a great adventure and Saturday was very windy, especially it seemed for the last hour of walking! We saw so many interesting things en route. We will go back and look more closely at Chepstow as the parts we saw looked well worth a second view! Having left the town and the river Wye behind, the views of the Severn bridges followed.

First the old and more beautiful, in our view, and as we got down to the estuary finally, the new bridge. We passed the Lave fishing heritage site near Black Rock and on along the levee. Walking along the levee was a great experience and walking under the new bridge and the M4 was amazing too!

A detour had to be made for a firing range but we returned to the levee once more and enjoyed the peace! The tide was out and the sheep - and cows - were grazing. We passed many of the pills, streams leading out to sea, walking into the head wind!

Finally arriving at a gate heading to Redwick church, we made our weary way to the guest house...on the other side of the village! After a good meal at the Rose Inn which we approached in the car!, we slept long after a 7 hour walk!
Day 2, 12th May saw us still able to move so off we set to Newport. Not quite so windy today. On reaching the coast, the tide was in! Looking completely different to last night - lovely!

Saw oyster catchers and either curlew sandpipers or dunlins as we walked the levee to Goldcliff. Passed several fishermen who all said no catch today. One believed there is overfishing going on off the coast by other than our fishing vessels. Had to leave the coast at Goldcliff (we question the authenticity of the so named coastal walk on occasion....)and walked through the first part of the Newport Wetlands Nature Reserve. Good little snack bar has opened just as you leave the levee. Heard our first cuckoo of this year and saw egrets and Canada geese and later herons - many serious "twitchers" in the observation huts. After field and lane walking we arrived back at the sea wall again in the nature reserve and headed past the power stations, one gas, one very "green" coal, to the visitor centre for a very welcome coffee and sit down!

On regaining the path, we saw the post announcing 6km to the Usk transporter Bridge so we stepped out with happier hearts! Over fields and only getting lost once...we found our way to the industrial start of Newport and by now the rain had started. Crawler gear engaged by myself, we walked along the industrial banks of the Usk and made it to the transporter bridge and were the last trip of the day on the gondola going across to the busy A48 on the west side. The bridge is phenomenal! Having been restored in the '90's, it's now a voluntary run provision and well worth a visit. Originally built in 1906, it is one of only 8 working examples in the world. Even the driving rain and wind didn't spoil it!

And so a taxi was hailed to return us to the car in Redwick and having refreshed ourselves at the Rose Inn once more, we negotiated for Lightning McQueen to move from behind our car so we could wend our way home

.... to plan for the next Phase....watch this space....around 34 miles down out of 870!!